USAWC DIGITAL COMMONS 25-30

SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS

THIS IS A Sources Sought Notice ONLY. The U.S. Government currently intends to award a contract for A digital repository on a SOLE SOURCE basis but is seeking vendors that may be able to perform this requirement in order to support a competitive procurement. Accordingly, the U.S. Government highly encourages all interested businesses (large and small) to respond to this sources sought synopsis. In addition, small businesses, in all socioeconomic categories (including, 8(a) Business Development Program, Small Disadvantage Business, Historically Underutilized Business Zone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, Women-Owned Small Business concerns), must describe their identifying capabilities in meeting the requirements at a fair market price, i.e., information which may help support a set-aside.

The intent is to award the proposed sole source firm fixed price contract to Digital Commons for an institutional repository that allows us to manage, display, and publish scholarships on the web & support publications in multiple formats. The statutory authority for the sole source procurement is FAR 13.106-1(b)(1): For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available Attached are the product specifications.

This notice does not constitute a Request for Quote (RFQ) or a promise to issue an RFQ in the future. This notice does not commit the U.S. Government to contract for any supply or service. Further, the U.S. Government is not seeking quotes, bids or proposals at this time and will not accept unsolicited proposals in response to this sources sought notice. The U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this notice. Submittals will not be returned to the responder. A determination not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. However, if a competitive solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Governmentwide Point of Entry. It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor the Governmentwide Point of Entry for additional information pertaining to this requirement. The NAICS code(s) is/are: 519210 Libraries & Archives; PSC code:R426 support & professional communications.

In response to this sources sought, please provide:

1. Identify any condition or action that may be having the effect of unnecessarily restricting competition with respect to this acquisition and identify alternatives or solution solutions. Also contact the MICC Advocate for Competition, Scott Kukes, at scott.d.kukes.civ@mail.mil or 210-466-3015, if you believe that this action is unreasonably restricting competition. Include the subject of the acquisition, this announcement, and the MICC POC information from the Sources Sought Synopsis. Provide the specific aspects that unreasonably restrict competition and the rationale for such conclusion.


2. Bepress Digital Commons (Elsevier B.V.) Street Address: Radarweg 29 Amsterdam 1043 NX POC: William Blackburn email:william.blackburn@elsevier.com CAGE code H1J06, identify business size large business


3. Identify whether your firm is interested in competing for this requirement as a prime contractor or not. Identify subcontracting, joint ventures or teaming arrangement that will be pursued, if any.


4. Digital Commons in the last five years provided excellent service offering the most flexible repository allowing the upload & manipulation of all forms of media Searches were preformed via NAICS code search results, System for Award Management (SAM), various other internet searches and telephone conversations. All search terminology and efforts lead back directly to Digital Commons. Research produced no other source capable of providing a software package meeting SSI & USAWC Press requirements. It is not feasible to support this requirement internally. Market research determined that because of the excessive cost required to migrate and implement a new CMS would be cost prohibitive, and because vital functions would be lost such as permanent URLs for cited publications it was infeasible and not cost effective to switch contractors. Therefore Elsevier is the only feasible source.


5. Information to help determine if the requirement (item or service) is commercially available, including pricing information, basis for the pricing information (e.g., market pricing, catalog pricing), delivery schedules, customary terms and conditions, warranties, etc.


6. Identify how the Army can best structure these contract requirements to facilitate competition, including competition among small business concerns.


7. Recommendations to improve the Army's approach/specifications/draft PWS/PRS to acquiring the identified items/services.